John Burke, Reporter
Photo by Hunter Oliva
On Wednesday, April 9, admissions leaders from Bucknell, Elon, Tufts, and UCONN came to share firsthand knowledge on the growing complexities of the college application process. Over the course of about two hours, students and parents heard directly from admission leaders, gaining insight into how to guide their journey when applying to university and how to stand out.
The event’s goal was to provide families and students, specifically sophomores and juniors, with up-to-date information on how college admissions work. Susan Carroll, Director of the College and Career Center, said, “We discussed everything from visiting colleges to the role of standardized testing in the admissions process and everything in between that would impact how students look and apply to college.”
One of the key takeaways from this night was the importance of showing genuine interest in the school’s students who are attending. “Students should visit the colleges with which they are interested unless it is geographically difficult,” Ms. Carroll said. One of the reasons for this is that colleges look into students visiting as a check for interest. “Many colleges will also track one’s engagement towards the college as part of their overall review,” Ms. Carroll added. Seniors, in particular, were reminded to take full advantage of the multiple college representatives who visit in the fall.
Another important message from the evening was about how every student brings their uniqueness to the application process. Cynthia Rivera, School Counselor, highlighted how the panelists talked about common misconceptions about admissions.“ The biggest misconception is that there is one right answer, one perfect essay, and one right pathway for getting into college,” Ms. Rivera said. “Instead, admissions officers are looking for the uniqueness of every student and how they stand out from others,” Ms. Rivera added.
“Think about what you want for yourself, what you want to get out of college – is it a particular career you wish to pursue or a specific community you wish to be a part of, and try to separate that from what your friends are looking for or the schools that you have heard of.“
Cynthia Rivera, School Counselor
Students who attended left with valuable insight into the college application process. Sophomore Michael O’Malley described the panel as “a good way to gauge what colleges generally want to see from high schoolers.” With approximately 175 students and parents attending, the event had a strong turnout consistent with previous years, and counselors like Ms. Rivera hope the panel will continue to help students focus on their individual goals. “Think about what you want for yourself and try to separate that from what your friends are looking for or the schools that you have heard of,” she remarked.
All in all, by attending this event, students gained valuable information to help them navigate the admissions process with more confidence and transparency. Ms. Carroll rounded up the event by saying, “New Canaan High School is extremely lucky to be able to offer the expertise and guidance of these individuals who head the admissions departments of some of the most popular colleges with NCHS students.”
